Congratulations to South Park’s own Duwamish Rowing Club for a big achievement. Thanks to Jay for the photo and report:

The youth program at the Duwamish Rowing Club placed 1st and 2nd in separate heats for the women’s novice 4+ events at this summer’s 2015 Extravaganza rowing regatta held at Green Lake on August 1st.

The club’s mission is to bring the sport of rowing to the residents of South Park, Georgetown, White Center and the surrounding neighborhoods; and to offer recreational access to the Duwamish River that is affordable for everyone. The club is always interested in taking on new members. Call Coach Mike at 206-402 1830 if you are interested in joining us. All ages are welcome.

This is complicating traffic on the SP side of the South Park Bridge, obviously. No injuries reported so far.

]]>http://thesouthparknews.com/seattle-fire-city-light-responding-to-transformer-problem/feed/0Concerns about crime/policing in South Park? ‘Focus group’ next Mondayhttp://thesouthparknews.com/concerns-about-crimepolicing-in-south-park-focus-group-next-monday/
http://thesouthparknews.com/concerns-about-crimepolicing-in-south-park-focus-group-next-monday/#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 04:21:52 +0000http://thesouthparknews.com/?p=2273If you haven’t heard about this already: Research assistant Jennifer Burbridge, who’s working with the Southwest Precinct right now, is leading “focus groups” around the area to listen to neighbors’ concerns about crime, safety, and policing, and she’s hoping to hear from South Park residents next Monday, July 27th, 6-7 pm at the precinct. Join her in the meeting room at 2300 SW Webster in West Seattle.
]]>http://thesouthparknews.com/concerns-about-crimepolicing-in-south-park-focus-group-next-monday/feed/0Arson suspect arrested in South Park apartment firehttp://thesouthparknews.com/arson-suspect-arrested-in-south-park-apartment-fire/
http://thesouthparknews.com/arson-suspect-arrested-in-south-park-apartment-fire/#commentsSun, 19 Jul 2015 09:02:36 +0000http://thesouthparknews.com/?p=2269

(Seattle Fire Department photo)

Seattle Police have arrested a 33-year-old man in connection with the Saturday morning fire at an apartment building in the 1000 block of South Thistle in South Park.

According to their report on SPD Blotter, “A man was seen pouring what was believed to be gasoline over an external stairway at the building, then lighting it was an open flame. A woman was trapped on the second floor of the burning building, but firefighters were able to get her out safely. After extinguishing the fire, investigators called detectives from the Arson/Bomb Squad to the scene. Detectives interviewed several witnesses who were able to provide the identity of the suspect.” They found him in South Park later in the day.

Engine Company 26 arrived to find flames shooting out of the building and began a rescue effort, pulling a trapped female tenant from her burning apartment using a ladder. There were four residents home at the time of the fire and all four safely escaped. None of the occupants needed medical attention.

Firefighters used multiple hose lines to knock down the fire. It took 20 minutes to knock down the flames, and 45 minutes to completely extinguish the fire.

The fire started on the outside of the building and extended to the structure. The fire investigator determined the damage estimate is $200,000 to the structure and $100,000 to the contents. … One firefighter was transported to Harborview Medical Center by medics as a precaution after becoming overheated.

Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jesús Aguirre will host a series of community meetings throughout the summer and fall to share his vision for the future of the department and to learn more about the unique needs of each of the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

Superintendent Aguirre will give a brief presentation on the department’s goals moving forward and will lead a discussion with community members to learn more about what’s important to them with regards to recreation and public spaces.

The first meeting will take place from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, at South Park Community Center (8319 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108). All are welcome to attend.

Join the Tree Ambassadors for an evening Tree Walk around South Park. We will learn about the neighborhood’s gorgeous trees and discuss the importance of putting the right tree in the right place for a long and healthy life. We will meet after work on July 20th in front of the South Park Neighborhood Center. We will start the walk at 6:30 pm and plan to walk a little over a mile. Learn more and register at seattle.gov/trees

Registration isn’t mandatory, but organizers say if you can, it’ll help them plan!

DRCC/TAG and project partners have been very busy in the last few months working on the Duwamish Community Action for Clean Air project. The project has three (3) main goals:

-Compile existing information on the sources of diesel and other air pollution in the Duwamish Valley
-Identify and fill data gaps with new monitoring and mapping efforts
-Take action to reduce exposure to air pollutants and the frequency and severity of asthma among local residents

As we wrap the first couple of goals, we want to make sure to inform the community about the findings. This is the reason why DRCC/TAG and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (one of our eight project partners) will give a brief presentation and allow some time for discussion during the upcoming SPNA monthly meeting. More details about the Info Session follow:

***Light dinner will be provided; please RSVP to Nicole at nicole@duwamishcleanup.org so we have a good idea of how much food we need to provide***

FREE HEALTHY HOME ASSESSMENTS

You can still sign up for a FREE Healthy Home Assessment! The American Lung Association (ALA) is offering Healthy Home Assessments to work with you and develop a low- or no-cost action plan and provide you with Green Cleaning Kits, high quality door mats, etc. If you would like to schedule a Healthy Home Assessment, please contact Kevin at kevin@duwamishcleanup.org. Interpretation is available in Spanish and Vietnamese.

Finally, stay tuned for more information about how we will work with you to take action to address outdoor air quality – we are committed to have this be a community-driven process! Expect more details in the coming weeks.

]]>http://thesouthparknews.com/air-quality-in-the-duwamish-valley-info-session-at-next-spna-meeting/feed/0VIDEO: ‘South Park Shows Up’ forum for City Council District 1 candidateshttp://thesouthparknews.com/video-south-park-shows-up-forum-for-city-council-district-1-candidates/
http://thesouthparknews.com/video-south-park-shows-up-forum-for-city-council-district-1-candidates/#commentsThu, 28 May 2015 17:43:42 +0000http://thesouthparknews.com/?p=2246In case you missed it last night – or want to relive it – we have two videos recording most of the “South Park Shows Up” forum:

That first clip includes the opening introductions and an icebreaking Q/A about South Park facts and figures – most too important to describe as “trivia” (sample question – “How many banks does South Park have?” – answer, none, though one person quipped “except for the (Duwamish) river bank”). Six of the seven invited candidates were there for that section: Lisa Herbold, Karl Wirsing, Brianna Thomas, Phillip Tavel, Jody Rushmer, Chas Redmond. It was relatively short, followed by a 10-minute break, during which time the seventh invited candidate, Shannon Braddock, arrived; as the rest of the forum began, she introduced herself, and then the 70-plus people who were there also heard from other candidates/organization reps who were there:

The forum wasn’t presented by a specific group/organization, but rather by South Park community members/volunteers. We photographed two of them, primary instigator Jeff “Drummerboy” Hayes and the night’s emcee/moderator, Raina Anderson:

Officers are searching for a group of men after a street robbery Monday afternoon in the South Park neighborhood.

Witnesses called 911 after hearing a single gunshot at 14th and S Donovan St. Officers arrived and found a 20-year-old man with a cut on his face, who said he had been pistol-whipped during an attempted robbery. The victim said the suspect fired a single shot before jumping into an early 2000s blue SUV. which sped away from the scene.

Officers are searching for the suspect’s vehicle, and are asking anyone with information about the case to call (206) 625-5011 to speak with an officer.

]]>http://thesouthparknews.com/violent-street-robbery-in-south-park/feed/0You can help! Volunteers needed for garden-building event in South Parkhttp://thesouthparknews.com/you-can-help-volunteers-needed-for-garden-building-event-in-south-park/
http://thesouthparknews.com/you-can-help-volunteers-needed-for-garden-building-event-in-south-park/#commentsFri, 15 May 2015 22:49:30 +0000http://thesouthparknews.com/?p=2239From Seattle Tilth – and note the call for volunteer help, if you can pitch in:

South Park residents and urban farming advocates are uniting forces to construct 37 garden beds for low income families in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood on Saturday, May 16. The goal is to make fresh food more accessible while reducing water pollution associated with pesticide and synthetic fertilizer use along the Duwamish River industrial corridor. South Park, a diverse neighborhood with many low income families, is considered a food desert with limited access to fresh food.
Building Gardens
This festive garden building event is called Spring Into Bed. Volunteers and community organizers will gather at Marra Farm at 9 a.m. and then head out to 16 sites to build gardens with participation from local families, volunteers and organizations. South Park resident Christine Makela received a King County Green Grant and has partnered with Seattle Tilth’s Just Garden program to make this project possible.

Spring Into Bed is creating a sense of community empowerment in South Park. In a collaboritve spirit, some homeowners are sharing their yards with families whoSpring Into Bed May 16 do not own their own homes. Over 100 volunteers and garden recipients will be working together to build gardens. After the gardens are built, everyone involved will gather to celebrate and share a meal.

Gardeners participate in organic gardening workshops and ongoing support offered by the Garden Hotline, a program managed by Seattle Tilth and sponsored by the City of Seattle and King County, to help ensure their success growing a bountiful harvest without the use of chemicals. Gardens are designed to reduce stormwater runoff at the locations where they’re installed.

Spring Into Bed May 16
Volunteer
About 40 more volunteers are still needed to make this event a success — join in for wheelbarrows of fun! Sign up to volunteer.

Seattle Tilth’s Just Garden program builds gardens monthly for low income families and each spring and hosts a large scale garden building event. On June 20, gardens will be built in Kent and on July 18, Renton will be the location for building gardens.